A "Grand" Time in the Mayan Riviera
fuzzlekins
This list is based on my research and recent vacation in the Playa del Carmen area of the Riviera Maya.
14 Jun 2006
based on 29 votes
Having a GRAND time in Mexico is easy ... when you know where to stay, what to do, and what not to do! This is my little guide to a fabulous vacation in the Riviera Maya.
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Explore locations featured in this Traveler List:
Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras
- Category: Recent trip
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Traveler type: Culture, Sightseeing, Shopping, Active/Outdoors, Never been before
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Appeals to: Couples/romantics, Honeymooners, Families with small children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
- Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Tags: OGFX, Occidental, Playa del Carmen, Resort, All-Inclusive, Riviera Maya, Attractions, Excursions
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1. Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret
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Ave price:
$382
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First ingredient for a good stay ... a good hotel. We decided to go the all-inclusive route because unless you're on vacation with an open checkbook, it's nice to know exactly how much you're going to spend on food and lodging at least. After much research on this site and others, we decided on the Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret (OGFX for short). This resort really lived up to its name ... GRAND! From the moment you walk into the lobby, the grandeur of the resort will strike you. With it's three story open air lobby, you can't help but to stop and take in the beauty. From that vantage point, you can even see the Caribbean sea in the distance at the end of a long row of trees and tropical foliage. The hospitality starts as soon as you step out of your transportation. Everyone we encountered at this resort was very friendly. Even the maids and maintenance people smiled and said, "Hola" whenever they passed. The grounds of the resort are large, and you should not be surprised to be lost the first day. However, nothing is as far away as it seems that first day. Maps are posted throughout the resort and within a day or two, you will no doubt know your way around. For those who don't enjoy walking the beautiful grounds, there are shuttle stops where a golf cart shuttle will pick up every ten minutes or so. There are a variety of accommodations at the resort. I recommend the standard "deluxe" room unless you want to spend significantly more and upgrade to the exclusive Royal Club. We found the room to be plenty spacious, extremely clean, and well appointed. The bathrooms are all marble and ceramic -- lovely! The water pressure in the shower is fantastic (unless you're sunburn;)), and the stall is large enough for two. I recommend taking the towels out of the shower and putting them on the stool outside. Otherwise, they will get wet as the showerhead sometimes flips up and will soak the towels in the stall. The hair dryers are quite powerful, and the voltage is the same as in the U.S. so no conversion worries.
We found the food at this resort to be very good for all-inclusive (AI) food. Buffet food as a rule is usually bland, boring, and barely worth consuming the calories. We found even the buffet food at OGFX to be good to very good. The a la cartes as well were good to somewhat gourmet. I dabble in gourmet cooking, so it's not as if I'm accustomed to eating at McDonald's. For breakfast each day we ate at the Beach Club, as it had gorgeous views of the Caribbean and a pleasant ocean breeze. You can eat indoors (no A/C), but why when you can enjoy the outdoor splendor on the palapa-covered terrace. This restaurant also serves lunch, although we opted for the pool snack bar most days. The pool snack bar is open the longest of the lunch buffets and has essentially the same selection as the Beach Club but with hot dogs added. Certain staples are found on every buffet for both lunch and dinner -- pasta, pizza, rice, chicken nuggets for kids, fries, and ice cream. The ice cream is a must eat -- very smooth, creamy, and delicious! The main buffet restaurant is also open for lunch, but I would recommend either of the other two locations instead for their ambiance and/or convenience. For dinner, the Beach Club becomes El Pescador -- the seafood restaurant. This is their flagship restaurant and the service there is outstanding with a waitstaff of 2-3 people for each table. Honestly, we thought it perhaps a bit much but everyone was so friendly and eager to serve you couldn't fault it. I especially enjoyed the apple strudel here (not your typical strudel!). My favorite a la carte restaurant, much to my surprise, was the Oriental. We had a fried banana and cheese appetizer that was yummy, despite sounding like a strange combination. I enjoyed my teppenyaki teriyaki shrimp immensely, and the tempura banana with coconut ice cream was delicious! Take note that this restaurant has only chopsticks on the table, but I'm sure you could get a fork if you requested one. We dined at Los Olivos, the Italian/Mediterranean restaurant, twice (we thought it was our favorite til we went to the Oriental). My husband enjoyed his fish dishes there immensely. Los Olivos and El Pescador both use sauces infused with not only herbs but fruit juices, which is an interesting and tasty change from usual American fare. The chocolate volcano at Los Olivos is not to be missed if you are a chocolate lover -- it's quite decadent. There are two additional a la carte restaurants that we did not get around to trying ... Sonora Grill (steakhouse) and La Hacienda (Mexican). La Hacienda seemed to get mostly very favorable reviews so it is certainly worth trying. How many a la carte nights you get depends on the number of nights you are there -- a week will get you four of the five. All of the a la carte restaurants except El Pescador are air conditioned, as is the main buffet. There is also La Piazza (pizza) and Paco's Tacos if you do not have restaurant reservations and want an alternative to the main buffet. The main buffet has theme nights every night, but again, certain staples were always there. Even the pickiest eater should be able to find something to eat at this resort, and given the times that the various eateries are open, you cannot possibly go hungry! We found the service to be excellent in every restaurant, even the buffets where they will seat you and bring you drinks. The dress code at the restaurants was pretty standard ... anything goes in the buffets except swim suits. Men should wear long pants (but not jeans) and a collared shirt (like a polo shirt) in the a la cartes, although we saw many people violating this code and getting in anyway. Women can wear just about anything but shorts or bathing suits. As if the restaurants aren't enough, this resort also has 14 bars in total. The swim up bar was great except that you're either stuck on the stool to finish your drink(s) or you run the risk of getting pool water in it when exiting -- the entire rim of the pool bar has a waterfall cascading over it. Don't let this keep you out though -- great drinks and bartenders! As an alternative though, there's another bar (a dry one) literally right above the swim-up bar for the land lovers. You'll also get drink service to varying degrees at the pools and the beach (better at the beach than the pools).
The pools are vast and immaculately kept. Two of the pools also contain cold-water jacuzzis -- five each to be exact. This was a nice and unique touch. If you crave action and excitement, there were activities all day long at the Fun Club (at the activities pool of course). However, if your ideal vacation consists of sleeping by the pool, there were also "quiet" pools as well. A small ocean-fed adults only pool rounds out the list of aquatic amenities at this resort. It's also worth noting that there are several shady areas near all the pools and on the beach. The beach also has hammocks and swinging beach beds. You'll have a tough time securing one of these unless you wait until afternoon, which in our opinion was the best time anyway -- great breeze, not as hot, etc. The man-made beach/lagoon at this resort does not allow for long strolls on the beach; however, the water is clear, calm, and beautiful. It is great for floating on the tubes the resort provides at both the beach and pools. There are also ample fish to view while snorkeling here. For other activities, the resort boasts tennis courts, archery, ping pong, biking, a putting green, a disco/sports bar, a teen mini-disco, nightly entertainment in a lovely outdoor theater, and more. There are two photo shops at the resort. One has a professional photographer who will follow you around for a professional photo shoot. You can buy packages and take the photos home with you -- they vary in price but start around $70 I believe. The other photographer will take a candid digital shot of you on the beach or holding Rex the iguana -- he wanders around the resort all day with Rex. If you decide to purchase one of these photos, the cost is $15 for the photo or $20 for the photo in an OGFX frame -- the framed photo is definitely the better deal and makes a nice souvenir. A couple of nights per week, local artisans are brought into the resort near the outdoor theater. One artist in particular, who sits between one of the bridges and the photo shop, is exceptional. His name is Picon Lopez and he paints beautiful pictures on framed ceramic tiles using only his fingers and a long fingernail. It is a technique his uncle invented forty years ago and he carries on the tradition. There are other artists that copy it, but he seems to be the master. Even if you do not want to buy one of his pieces, which he will custom make to order while you stand there, it is fascinating to watch him create his little masterpieces in a matter of minutes. Definitely check it out!
Regarding tipping at this resort ... Tips are technically included in the price you pay. Having said that, some people choose to tip anyway. We found the service to be great whether we tipped or not; however, we did generally leave a $1 tip each day for the maid, $1 at the buffets, and $3-5 at the a la cartes. The waitstaff will definitely remember you and take great care of you if you do tip. We did not do it for that reason though -- the staff gets paid little by the resort and they really do work very hard, so we felt they deserved it. All in all, this is a top-notch resort with gorgeous architecture and design, set amid a beautiful natural landscape.
A vacation is what you make of it ... OGFX gives you the tools to make it a grand one!
Have fun!!:)
-fuzzlekins
ocmdbeachrentals.com |
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Xcaret Park is a vast ecological park a la theme park with animals, exhibits, shopping, and shows. One free admission for each guest is included with your stay at OGFX. You can take the gondola down the river to the park if you simply want the experience of it; however, it is literally a five minute walk at most. If you do take the gondola, be prepared to tip. Once in the park, you will come to the large theater first as you are essentially entering through the resort's back door. The theater is where you will want to return in the evening for the night show. You will be given a map when you get your tickets and they are also posted throughout the resort. Even with the maps, the park can be a bit confusing to navigate. There are many attractions to see so we just wandered from one to the next and that worked well enough. Plan any water activities (like the underground river, the beach, or snorkeling) for the hottest part of the day (about 10-2) because it will be too hot to walk unless it is overcast. The aquarium too is a good spot in the heat as it is air conditioned. It is a small aquarium but the sights are great. Since food in the park is not included in your admission, I would recommend heading back to the resort for lunch and/or dinner. They give you a bracelet on your first entry into the park so you can come and go as you please all day. Be sure to get to the theater at 6:30pm to get a good seat for the 7pm night show. Although the show is in Spanish, you can generally follow the story (a bit of a Mayan/Spanish history/culture lesson) after a few minutes. The highlight of the show is definitely the ball games played during the first half. The second half of the show, after intermission, consists entirely of singing and dancing. If this isn't your cup of tea or the kids get bored, you can always head back out into the park or hit the gift shops before you leave. Items in the gift shop were surprisingly reasonable for tourist fare.
Additional tips ... If you plan to do an extra activity like swim with the dolphins or SeaTrek or any of those listed in the brochure, do them on a different day because you will be let into the park 2 hours ahead of your scheduled activity for free. Also, if you find that you did not have time to see everything in one day, you can go back at 3pm on another day and pay only $15/person admission while avoiding the heat. Finally, the Xcaret desk at the resort will tell you that you can take the resort towels to the park with you. You cannot. If you try, they will take them from you as you leave and give them back when you return. Since towels brought from home aren't likely to dry out completely in the humidity, you may as well just plan to rent towels inside the park. |
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3. Tulum Express Tour
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We decided to visit the Tulum ruin site because it is the closest to the resort at about 45 minutes away. The Tulum excursion is often coupled with a visit to Xel-Ha. Xel-Ha is great for those who enjoy water activities, but we felt that it would be redundant with Xcaret. So, we opted for Tulum Express. The cost is generally about $35/person. We were picked up at the resort early in the morning. We rode in a very comfortable and large tour bus. There were two guides -- one for the English-speaking folk and one for the Spanish-speaking. They provided a little bit of history as we got near to the site. Once inside, the guide spent about 45 minutes giving information about the Mayans and the Tulum site. It was very interesting and saved us some time in reading each of the information plates in front of the ruins (in the heat I might add). We were then given an hour or so to stroll the ruins on our own. We felt we could have used a little more time, but we did have time to see everything. We did not, however, have time to get into the water at the beautiful beach below the ruins (there are stairs to get there). It is also worth noting that the ruins here are all roped off so that people cannot climb or enter them. There is only one small ruin that you can still pass through unfortunately. Nonetheless, we found this site to be a must-see.
If you want to do Tulum for cheap, you certainly can. The admission to the site itself is only around $4/person. If you've rented a car, you can make the trek on your own. Or, you could also take a collectivo for just a few dollars, but it is a very long walk to the main highway from the lobby of the resort. |
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There are a variety of locations in the Riviera Maya and Cancun where you can swim with dolphins. In fact, you can do it right at Xcaret Park next door. However, after reading reviews and description of the programs, we decided to go with Dolphin Discovery in Puerto Aventuras. They have a variety of programs that start at $69, which is the one we did. This program puts you in the water (as a group of about 8 or so) with a dolphin. The dolphin will do some tricks for you -- partially interactive. You will have opportunities to pet the dolphin, and you will also share a kiss and "hug" with the dolphin. Both of these are photo opportunities where the resort staff will take your picture. Personal cameras are not allowed in the water with you. The entire event will also be filmed and edited and available for purchase by the time you get back to the main shop. The video is the better deal at $29; pictures cost $12 and $15 depending upon size. They will also offer you discounted photo packages if you want to buy several. They do accept credit cards. If you want additional interaction with the dolphins, the Royal Swim also involves the famous toe push and dorsal tow. To do it over again, this is the program I would recommend, especially if you like some speed! It is more expensive, but worth the added $$ in my opinion. You can also opt for an even longer program that also involves other marine life. As you enter the ocean area for your program (the marina is ocean-fed and sectioned off to allow multiple programs to take place at once), you will also have your picture taken with two macaws perched on your shoulder and hand. These photos also will be available for purchase before you leave. You do not need to be able to swim to enjoy these experiences, as life jackets are provided and required. After taking part and seeing children take part, it appeared to us that this activity is only suitable for children over the age of about three or four unless you know your child will not be afraid of the deep water and dolphins.
For those that take an ethical stance against this activity ... I have a friend who used to be a marine biologist. Her opinion is the same as mine -- these dolphins are well cared for and not living in tiny pools. They are swimming in their natural environment, albeit a scaled down version. Their needs are completely met. They are fed regularly and exactly what they need. If they get sick, they are cared for. They are in no danger of being trapped or injured in a fisherman's net. And finally, they get quite a bit of pleasant human interaction, and dolphins are said to enjoy being petted. In my opinion, not such a bad life. So I say enjoy these amazing creatures if you can afford to! |
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5. 5th Avenue, Playa del Carmen
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This lovely little seaside shopping district is only about ten minutes from OGFX, making it an easy excursion selection. You can get there via taxi (arranged promptly by the bellboys) or via shuttle. To use the shuttle, you'll need to choose between 9am-1pm and 10am-2pm. The shuttle is $10. If you are planning to go into PDC, don't buy souvenirs at the Pueblo del Rio shops in OGFX -- you'll find cheaper prices in PDC. Some stores have set prices and other local merchants practice the fine art of haggling. It never hurts to try! The rule of thumb seems to be to offer 1/2 or 1/3 of asking price. Don't be afraid of losing the item -- what one shop sells another one surely does too. PDC is also a good place to buy tequila and Kahlua. Just be aware of what customs will allow you to take back into your country. For the US, each person was allowed 2 liters when we were there. This is also a great place to buy vanilla -- much cheaper than in the U.S. and said to be very good. Get the clear vanilla that contains no coumarin.
5th Avenue runs for quite a ways and is parallel to the beach. Virtually any side street off 5th Avenue will provide a stunning view of the beach. Since the beach at OGFX is man-made, if you're longing for a stroll on a wide expanse of beach, the PDC beach is a great place to do it!
There are a lot of very quaint and beautiful bars and eateries along 5th Avenue and the side streets. We did not eat or drink at any of them because we figured we may as well do that at the resort. However, if you want a taste of the local cuisine, this should be a good safe place to do it. Many people are concerned about the water and the ice in Mexico. Look for a hole/dimple in your ice cubes -- this indicates the ice is made with purified water. Be sure to wear sunscreen and a hat -- the sun can be brutal. Wear cool clothing too as most of the shops are not air conditioned. |
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Compliment fuzzlekins
